America's Cup goes to Europe
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, March 2 (UPI) -- A yacht from Europe won the America's Cup for the first time Sunday when the Swiss challenger Alinghi completed a five-race sweep.
Alinghi finished off a domination of two-time defending champion Team New Zealand, a triumph that would have been considered almost unthinkable when the five-month competition began.
Alinghi, skippered by Russell Coutts of New Zealand and representing a yacht club on Lake Geneva, wrapped up the amazing feat with a 44-second win in the fifth race of the best-of-nine series.
Once again, mechanical problems plagued the New Zealand boat, which had been the decided favorite to retain the 152-year old silver cup that is the most sought-after sailing trophy in the world.
The shattering defeat for Team New Zealand came on the third anniversary of its successful defense of the America's Cup.
Coutts, labeled a traitor by the racing-mad sailing fans of New Zealand, wrested the cup away from his native country one day after his 41st birthday.
Alinghi opened a 30-meter lead just five minutes into the fifth race Sunday, owned a 21-second advantage after the first windward mark and maintained a strong position through the first three legs of the race.
On the second trip downwind, Alinghi was able to virtually wrap up the race when New Zealand's spinnaker pole broke. The crew jettisoned the broken pole overboard and eventually was able to put up another. But it was far too late.
New Zealand lost the first race against Alinghi when it suffered a broken boom and two ripped sails and then had a mast break in the fourth race.
The other two races were decided by seven and 23 seconds.
Originally known as the 100 Guinea Cup, the schooner America won the first race in 1851 by besting a fleet of Royal Yacht Squadron boats in a sail around the Isle of Wight.
The cup had not been back to Europe since.
Tiger vs. Toms in Match Play final
CARLSBAD, Calif., March 2 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods and David Toms recorded thrilling semifinal victories Saturday in the Accenture Match Play Championship.
Woods survived a scare by downing Adam Scott of Australia on the first extra hole and Toms rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt on the 18th green of the La Costa Resort & Spa course to defeat another Australian, Peter Lonard, 1-up.
With Woods ranked No. 1 in the world and Toms No. 7, the first World Golf Championship event of the year will have its best final pairing since Darren Clarke surprised Woods in the title match three years ago. Sunday's championship match will be over a scheduled 36 holes
Both the quarterfinals and semifinals were contested Saturday with Woods advancing in the morning over Scott Hoch, 5 & 4; Scott fighting off Jay Haas, 2 & 1; Toms jumping to a big lead and downing Jerry Kelly, 4 & 3; and Lonard rallying from 3-down to defeat Clarke, 2-up.
After a short lunch break, Woods faced off against Scott and found himself 2-down to the Austrailian after six holes. Scott's lead would have been 3-up had he not missed a four-foot putt at the sixth.
Woods then holed putts of seven and 12 feet at the eighth and ninth to tie the match and moved in front when Scott three-putted the 12th.
Scott, however, rolled in a 25-footer for birdie at the 14th to again square the match, fell behind once more when Woods birdied the 15th and holed a 15-footer at the 16th to halve the hole and remain just 1-down.
Scott was able to force sudden death with a four-foot birdie putt at the par-5 18th while Woods hit a wild second shot and had to settle for par.
The Australian's putting problems returned at the first extra hole when he missed a four-footer for par, leaving Woods the winner.
Arizona wins Pac-10 crown
PALO ALTO, Calif., March 2 (UPI) -- The top-ranked Arizona Wildcats clinched their 10th Pac-10 Conference regular season title Saturday night by downing No. 19 Stanford, 72-69.
Salim Stoudamire scored 18 points for the Wildcats, including a key jumper with 44 seconds left.
Arizona (23-2, 15-1 Pac-10) entered the season as the favorite to win the national title -- and the Pac-10 crown along the way. The Wildcats became the third team to finish unbeaten on the road in conference play, joining Oregon State in 1980-81 and Stanford in 2000-01.
Stoudamire's jumper opened a 70-67 advantage and he added a pair of free throws with 25 seconds left. Stanford (22-7, 13-4) countered with a layup by Rob Little and had a chance to tie after the Wildcats' Rick Anderson missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity seven seconds later.
The Cardinal set up for a three-point attempt, but Josh Childress missed. Nick Robinson rebounded for Stanford and kicked it out to Julius Barnes, who missed another long-range try. Time expired during the battle for the rebound.
The Wildcats won their eighth straight and avenged an 82-77 home loss to Stanford on Jan. 30. Arizona has won 10 consecutive road games.
In College Station, Texas, Hollis Price scored 23 points and led a strong effort from beyond the arc as the third-ranked Oklahoma Sooners held on for a 69-64 Big 12 Conference victory over Texas A&M.
A senior point guard, Price has been a steady influence all season for the Sooners, who were coming off Wednesday's 67-52 loss at Missouri.
Elsewhere in the top 10 Saturday, No. 4 Florida edged Auburn, 73-70; No. 6 Texas fought off Texas Tech, 76-71; No. 7 Kansas whipped No. 17 Oklahoma St., 79-61; No. 9 Louisville defeated East Carolina, 82-76; and No. 10 fell to Rutgers, 95-82.
Second-ranked Kentucky will take on Georgia Sunday.
Duncan helps break Kings winning streak
SAN ANTONIO, March 2 (UPI) -- Tim Duncan had 18 points and 15 rebounds and Tony Parker tied a career high with 32 points Saturday to carry San Antonio past Sacramento, 108-100.
The Kings had their five-game winning streak snapped.
Parker scored 21 points in the first half as the Spurs jumped to a 60-47 lead, despite little contribution from Duncan, who played just nine minutes due to foul trouble. But the All-Star forward bounded back over the final 24 minutes and helped San Antonio stifle a Sacramento rally.
The Spurs led by as many as 17 points in the second half, but the Kings pulled within 91-82 with 5:16 remaining. Duncan responded with a jumper and grabbed a defensive rebound before making one of two free throws with 3:47 to go.
Parker sank a three-pointer with 67 seconds left for a 103-91 edge and San Antonio made 5-of-6 free throws in the final 38 seconds to hold off Sacramento, which scored 14 points in the last 2:08.
Chris Webber had 36 points and nine rebounds and Peja Stojakovic scored 20 points for the Kings, who have lost five of their last eight road games.
Other NBA results: Washington 101, Chicago 93; Dallas 114, Memphis 87; New Orleans 97, Phoenix 92.
Predators threaten for playoff spot
NASHVILLE, March 2 (UPI) -- Scott Walker scored 2:49 into overtime Saturday, extending Nashville's winning streak to four games with a 5-4 victory over the Chicago.
Blackhawks defenseman Nathan Dempsey tried to swat the puck out of mid-air with his glove but missed. The puck landed on the stick of Walker, who pushed it past goaltender Jocelyn Thibault to give the Predators their latest win.
David Legwand and Kimmo Timonen each had two assists for Nashville, which has won eight of its last nine games to pull within two points of Edmonton for the Western Conference's final playoff spot.
The Predators have never made the playoffs since entering the league in 1998-99.
Chris Simon and Alexei Zhamnov scored in a three-goal second period for the reeling Blackhawks, who have lost six straight and nine of their last 10 games.
Other NHL results: Philadelphia 3, Boston 2; Colorado 4, Pittsburgh 1; Los Angeles 4, Atlanta 1; Montreal 1, Vancouver 1; New York Islanders 2, Buffalo 1 in overtime; New York Rangers 5, Florida 2; Tampa Bay 2, Ottawa 1; Toronto 4, Carolina 1; Columbus 3, Edmonton 3; New Jersey 2, Washington 1 in overtime; St. Louis 2, Minnesota 0.
Nemechek wins Busch race
LAS VEGAS, March 2 (UPI) -- Joe Nemechek held off Kevin Harvick down the stretch Saturday to win the NASCAR Busch series Sam's Town 300.
Nemechek led 49 of 200 laps and extended his streak to seven years with at least one Busch series victory. This was his 13th career win on the circuit.
Todd Bodine had the lead with 32 laps to go. Racing side-by-side with Nemechek, Bodine slid through the grass on the frontstretch and Nemechek inherited the lead.
"I don't know what was going on there," Nemechek said. "He was underneath me and went up high and I tried to crowd him. I don't know if he lost a tire or what, but he got loose there."
Bodine finished 19th.
Harvick led the first 81 laps and 93 all together. The Winston Cup regular grabbed the Busch series lead, 55 points ahead of David Green who finished sixth in the only Pontiac Grand Prix among the top 10.
Mike Bliss was third for the best finish of his Busch series career and Steve Park made it a sweep of the top four positions for Chevrolet Monte Carlos.
Park overcame a spin as he competed in his first Busch race since suffering serious injuries in 2001 at Darlington Raceway.
Jason Keller started second and rounded out the top-five finishers with the top Ford Taurus.
Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip started 40th but made it to the front before a rain delay halted the race on lap 141. He ended up seventh.
Miller closes deficit against Eberharter
YONG PYONG, South Korea, March 2 (UPI) -- Switzerland's Michael von Grunigen won the 23rd giant slalom race of his career Saturday.
American Bode Miller, meanwhile, chipped away at Stephan Eberharter's lead in the race for the overall title.
Two weeks after finishing a disappointing seventh at the World Championships in St Moritz, Von Grunigen was clocked in 2 minutes, 26.68 seconds to edge Frenchman Frederic Covili.
Miller was third to move 133 points behind Eberharter in the overall World Cup standings with his Austrian rival finishing a distant 23rd in this race.
Miller also is chasing Von Grunigen at the top of the giant slalom standings and now trails by 97 points.
Covili was 0.17 seconds behind Von Grunigen with Miller 0.15 further back.
Milwaukee Brew first at Santa Anita
ARCADIA, Calif., March 2 (UPI) -- Milwaukee Brew won a classic battle with heavily favored Congaree over the final 100 yards Saturday to win the Santa Anita Handicap.
Milwaukee Brew became the second two-time winner of the race.
Ridden by Edgar Prado, Milwaukee Brew kept pace with Congaree, who led heading into the stretch but was beaten to the finish line by a head at Santa Anita Park.
Milwaukee Brew made a winner of trainer Bobby Frankel, who decided Tuesday to keep Travers Stake victor Madaglia d'Oro out of this race because he was dissatisfied with weight assignments.
That ended any chance of a meeting between North America's top two older horses and allowed jockey Jerry Bailey to return to Congaree.
Milwaukee Brew ended up carrying 119 pounds, five fewer than Congaree, the 4-5 favorite. The 6-year-old son of 1984 Breeders Cup Classic champion Wild Again, Milwaukee Brew covered 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.80 on a fast track.
The legendary John Henry is the only other horse with two victories in the "Big Cap," winning in 1981 and being awarded first place the following year when Perrault was disqualified for interference.
